TJ13 #F1 Courtroom Podcast: Colin the Racing Car

Since His Gavel-Wieldingness still cannot be bothered to grace the courtroom podcast with a personal appearance, the job of reigning in this week’s ragtag band of panelists fell once again to the TJ13 Master of Ceremonies – revered leader Kim Jong Spann.

Returning to the Panel is Grumpy Smurf from Bella Italia – TJ13 Chief Historian and Editor Carlo Carluccio, who unwaveringly insists that these days everything is worse than it was in the olden days.

On the other end of the age-scale we have Monza pitlane mole and certified student slacker Adam, freshly back in Blighty after his trip to Monza.

Stomping in straight from the waterhole is TJ13 Chief Rantist, Fat Hippo, who unsurprisingly shares Carlo’s grumpiness about the ‘kids these days’ and reminisces about the virtues of Lawn Darts and their place in the natural selection.

The fourth panelist went AWOL (no, he wasn’t sat on by the Hippo) so we broke the glass and rolled out our all-purpose weapon from America-land – Matt from a place called New York or something…

20 responses to “TJ13 #F1 Courtroom Podcast: Colin the Racing Car”

Just an expression on the Formula E discourse. I don’t believe the new Formula E championship is intended to compete with, or usurp, our beloved Formula One. Despite popular opinion, and admitedly ample anecdotal evidence, I don’t subscribe to the view that the FiA are collectively imbecilic in toto. Certainly not in a macro, strategic and overarching basis. Despite the cretins that continually abuse Formula One – Charlie I’m looking at you here – the top strategists I think have a plan here with FE. I think the new championship is supposed to be complimentary to F1 as an additional open wheel offering, as opposed to some sort of open wheel competitor. In the way that Indy Car represents, in the main, the best open wheel racing on ovals, speedways etc, and is the preeminent series for such racing, it’s really not in direct battle with F1, which incidentally is why American open wheel racing has survived over the decades. It’s a genuinely different sporting challenge, unlike A1GP, which was a cheap and disingenuous attempt at using patriotism to underpin a sport which never operated in such a way outside of having a favourite national driver.

FE is pure electric. FE is street racing. FE is likely to be (relatively) wheel banging. FE is about development of modern energy technology. FE is also about city showcasing. So it’s simply different to F1 and unique enough to be sustainable. Has it been executed well? No, but for a first race it’s ok. They’ve done much correctly. But a few things poorly. The calender gap is silly. The speed needs to increase, just so even the naked eye can be dazzled by speed. But outside if that, it’s done well. It knows what it is, and what it isn’t, where it wants to go, and where it doesn’t want to go. Can the same be said for Fornula One right now? I don’t think so… And I think that’s is actually on FOM and Bernie related FiA-ites. Not the FiA itself, who I think have implemented some quite significant reforms, including (but not limited to) their process for impartial legal disputes.

So ultimately FE is not a competitor, in fact I think the more that watch FE, on FE’s merits alone, will eventually and inevitably take an interest in F1. New people will come to F1 via FE. F1 won’t lose viewers to FE. The teams know this, which is why they are technically supporting the series. The FiA know this, and also know it’s not in their interest to undermine F1. Only Bernie and his sycophants are expressing disdain… but we all know his tricks with the media by now and his short sighted (social media anyone) nature.

Give FE it a chance. I get why petrol heads, like myself, don’t like it. I don’t like Indy much either. But combined they can support each other well I think. I’ll be watching the offseason races for sure. Isn’t it all our dream, here at TJ13, for open wheel racing to take over the world… 😀

Thanks for the comment Adam. I think FE has the core ingredients to be relatively sustainable on a 10 or so round, off season, complimentary basis. In fact, like F2 and sports cars was to F1 in the good ol’ days gone by, I’d like to see the current crop of F1 drivers bolstering off-season FE grids too. How cool would it be to see Lewis, Kimi and Fernando having a run in December or January.

Totally, agree that this should absolutely be seen as a very different and complementary series, and also hope its given chance to establish itself, and get up to speed, both metaphorically, and literally. So many series seems to compete, or do such similar things, this I agree has been cleve in trying to be different, but complementary. I’d be keen to see more such things, different set ups, and technologies, so long as its as considered as this.

While I agree with some of your analysis I disagree that it’s not a competitor or intended to be a competitor to F1. First, the FIA owns the commercial rights, so they are competing with FOM in waht Ecclestone would consider his terrirtory, Second, the series is targeting cities, which can host a race for significantly less than an F1 race. There no need to spend tens of millions on a circuit to suit Ecclestone and the local organizers keep much of track signage, so its economic viability is good. Third, as this may be the most important one over the long -term, they look like F1 cars. The FIA could have mandated a radical design for the cars but didn’t. Why do electric cars need side-pods s big as an F1 or GP2/3 car for? It was smart to keep it a spec series for the first two years, then bring in a couple of well know manufacturers and keep them in tight cost and technical restraints and bring in some better known drivers. Formula E won’t affect Monza or Silverstone or Spa, but it could end Ecclestone’s ambitions for more street races and significantly narrow his options.

“Third, as this may be the most important one over the long -term, they look like F1 cars.”

Top point. I over looked that, but it’s critical. You are right. Like Indy cars are still clearly open wheel racers, they are distinctive to the relatively untrained eye and differ from F1. They are sleek, rocket looking things, aren’t they. It’s clear top speed is core to their design ala ovals.

FE would do well to retain an open wheel look, but additionally to carve out a distinctive FE car design wise. I couldn’t even attempt to suggest what, or how, but the car should be relatively unique in premier class open wheel racing and reflect somehow street racing and energy efficiency.

Nice work, guys. I’m still utterly unconvinced with the music choices, but this time you actually managed to make me giggle at your cracks.. 🙂

Re: Driving while using a mobile phone

I’d side with Matt on that. There are studies that show that the probability of a crash is noticeably (read: hugely) increased not because the driver is physically holding a phone in her hand, but because she is diverting attention and brain processing power away from the driving. So talking using a hands-free device would be as dangerous as talking using a phone in your hand. And don’t even get me started on sending text messages, especially using touchscreen devices: it positively f*cks up your odds of crashing.

So as it was pointed out in the podcast, playing around with the various knobs and switches is dangerous but OK-ish (it’s analog, you can often find the necessary protuberance simply by gliding your hand on the steering wheel surface). But if you plug in a complex LED screen with various data that only an engineer’s mind can process and understand, and you have drivers—who barely have the time and spare brain capacity to squeal once per lap “He cheated! He cheated! Did you see that?”—needing to take the time and effort to check the readouts, understand them and decide on a proper course of action.. Well, then bring out the popcorn and get ready for a weekly crashfest.

Re: TJ13 Racing League

That would be positively awesome! I’d also echo FH, and root for a PlayStation (instead of an Xbox). You usually get all racing sims there, including GranTurismo.

…about the Formula E vs F1, aside from all that has been said, as a young-ish viewer I think the graphics and close-racing in FE made F1 look old and dated even though I knew the result beforehand. Seeing those cars inches from each other beats pure speed imho. They have proper rims, not oversized carting runners. Engine map settings made sense: 6 is low power, 1 is high power, 2-3 in between. Sure F1 cars are faster and probably harder to drive and I don’t doubt F1 pilots are the best in the world, but the packaging, the way F1 is sold, that’s wrong. F1 pilots don’t get it, they need help, how am I to understand “mode 3 Felipe, switch to mode 3”. 3 out of what, is that better than 5?

Good podcast. Surprised no-one mentioned the F.E. car-swap half way through the race, which is just as silly and self-defeating as I thought it would be. Agree on the crash being great for ratings, otherwise 11 weeks from now no one would even remember what F.E was. This radio thing has already turned into yet another F1 farce. Thank Bernie, kids. “Thanks Bernie.”

Only just had chance to listen,
Great job again guys, the levels were much better this time round as iblisten through headphones so can really pick up on it. Everything is feeling more oilied and fitting together nicely.

Re-COTA interesting you touched on the public funding issue but not why, whuchbis partly down to Bernie doing things on a nod and a handshake not meeting the the due process that local government required to authorize the payment. So Bernie screwed everyone except himself…… AGAIN.

Also a small request, please could you have some alternative music maybe some banging Ibiza trance, you know to give some variety and keep us ageing ravers happy too,